Carol City rallies to beat Homestead, win fourth in a row

Senior Austin Hernandez’s 22-yard field goal with 3:46 remaining lifted Miami Carol City to a 23-20 victory over Homestead on Friday night at Harris Field.

The Chiefs (5-2, 2-0), riding a four-game win streak, remain unbeaten in District 16-6A along with Miami Central with three games — two in the district — left.

Carol City pounded the ball on the game-winning drive, rushing on the first seven plays before stalling inside the Homestead’s 5-yard line.

“The second half was a fight between two really good teams,” Carol City coach Aubrey Hill said. “We kept preaching on offense, ‘Just one more play. One more play on defense. Get the guys off the field. On offense find a way to get a first down or score or get in position.’ ”

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After a scoreless first quarter, it took Carol City less than a minute into the second to capture a 7-0 lead after the Chiefs blocked junior kicker Uriel Hernandez’s 36-yard field goal try. Two players later, senior and University of Miami commit Trayon Gray faked a handoff and raced 65 yards untouched for a touchdown.

Homestead (4-4, 0-3), celebrating homecoming, answered with a quick strike thanks to junior Antonio Calloway’s 76-yard kickoff return. Junior quarterback Maurice Alexander found senior Gilbert Johnson in the back of the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown.

The Chiefs regained the lead on Gray’s 19-yard touchdown pass to junior Shauntel Seay. However, Hernandez’s extra point was blocked.

The Broncos manufactured an 11-play, 69-yard drive, culminating on Alexander’s 10-yard touchdown pass to senior Ermon Lane with 2:46 remaining before halftime. The extra point was good, making it 14-13.

Lane, a University of Florida commit, had avoided a six-game suspension after being ejected from last week’s win over Palmetto when he punched a player while going for the ball on defense.

The nation’s second-best receiver, according to ESPN, caught another touchdown — a 55-yarder — on the team’s first play from scrimmage in the second half, giving Homestead a 20-13 lead following a missed extra point.

“I found out at pregame meal,” Homestead coach Larry Coffey said before the game of Lane’s playing status.

Gray, who finished with 233 rushing yards, added another touchdown from 13 yards out with 5:43 to go in the third for the Chiefs to tie it at 20 entering the fourth